B-cc's Players Test Their Legs In Opening Drills

DAYTONA BEACH — Spring football practice got under way at Bethune-Cookman College this week with the players running for their lives.

Although the players may have wanted to run away from practice, they were running laps to get into shape for the long afternoons ahead.

The Wildcats reported in on Monday after a week away for spring break. The opening session was devoted to weighing in and testing drills, which had the players doing the 40-yard dash.

Jerome Jones, a former member of the Bahama National Track team, was the man with the fleetest feet. Jones, who will be a sophomore wide receiver, ran a 44.1-second dash. Alex Armenteros, a senior defensive back, turned in a 44.4, and defensive back Anthony Florence and running back Kevin Finnie went sprinting into their senior seasons doing the dash in 44.8.

Tuesday afternoon was reserved for the long run. The players did the 12- minute run. Or ''the dreaded 12-minute run,'' as B-CC Coach Larry Little put it.

''We're just trying to see what kind of condition the guys are in,'' Little said.

So far Little has been pleased with what he has seen. ''A lot of kids have been working really hard during the off season and it showed Monday,'' Little said.

The players will wear pads for the first time today to begin contact drills. ''We're going to work on some new things we'll be putting in for spring,'' Little said.

This is the first of three weeks of spring drills, leading up to the spring intrasquad game on April 9. Little said since they will be in practice only three weeks, he may have the team work out for a couple of days following the spring game.

The main concerns are the same concerns the Wildcats had last year -- improve on defense and become more consistent on offense, Little said.

Bethune-Cookman managed to show marginal improvement last year, improving on 1986's record of 3-8 to a 4-7 finish last fall.

The team returns seven players on both offense and defense so the Wildcats are hoping experience will pay off. ''I feel good about the guys we've got coming back,'' Little said. ''We played a lot of guys last year so they have experience.''

On the defense, the Wildcats lost linebackers Chris Stewart and Sean Washington, nose guard Dwight Simmons and defensive backs Avery McCree and Terry Williams, who is expected to be chosen in the early rounds of the National Football League draft.

Bethune-Cookman has 60 players out this spring, 48 returning players and 12 walk-ons. Oddly enough, the thinnest spot in the lineup is at quarterback.

Greg Ross completed his fifth year with the team last season, but the Wildcats were caught with only Anthony Thomas returning when Kris Smith, who would have been entering only his third year of eligibility, decided to graduate early to work toward a law degree.

Little said Thomas, a senior who transferred to Bethune-Cookman from the University of Tennessee three years ago, is ready to shoulder the burden. ''He has a great attitude,'' Little said.

Little said Lamar Anderson, a sophomore who played quarterback in high school, will be temporarily moved from wide receiver to quarterback to help fill the personnel problem during spring drills.

Relief is on the way for the fall. The position of quarterback was, of course, one of Little's main recruiting concerns. To that end, he has brought in Darrell Pound, a junior college transfer from Southwest Mississippi.

Even though the transfers, Proposition 48 players and recruits won't join the team until the fall, there is one new face on Bethune-Cookman's practice field.

Willie Martinez has joined the coaching staff. Martinez, a former player and graduate assistant at the University of Miami, will be working with the receivers and quarterbacks in his first full-time coaching position. Coach Reggie Beverly will resume the title of offensive coordinator. The opening occurred when Stu Rogers left at the end of last season to take an assistant coaching position at New Mexico State.